Iran to be tested by Jovetic & Co. in Hartberg

Persianfootball.com – HARTBERG, Things will be getting more serious for Team Melli on Monday, when a strong Montenegro will test Carlos Queiroz’s men in Autria’s Hartberg on Monday.

The match will certainly serve as a dress rehearsal for Iran’s last group opposition at World Cup, Bosnia & Herzegovina, and Queiroz, with finally all 28 players at disposal, might well use his strongest lineup after he had fielded a B team in the goalless draw versus Belarus last week.

Still there are many question marks about what this strongest lineup could be.

While Daniel Davari should be back between the posts, leftback Hashem Beikzadeh and centerback Jalal Hosseini also most likely will return to the starting lineup. Pejman Montazeri is an almost certain starter as well, but it is unclear if he will be used in his strongest position in central defense or as rightback.

The latter would mean Amir-Hossein Sadeghi would be the second centerhalf in the more defensive variation of the 4-3-3, whereas otherwise Steven Beitashour might fill in as rightback.

With skipper Javad Nekounam and Andranik Teymourian are fixed, the third midfield position is up for grab since Mojtaba Jabbari’s recent surprising retirment.

Ghasem Hadadifar or Bakhtiar Rahmani are likely candidates to fill in, but many different variations are thinkabl. The likes of Masoud Shojaei, Ashkan Dejagah or Sardar Azmoun are all able to play behind the sole striker Reza Ghoochannejhad which, however; would rather transform the 4-3-3 into a 4-2-3-1.

On the wings, Masoud Shojaei and Ashkan Dejagah are the usual starters, but Alireza Jahanbakhsh, Mohammad-Reza Khalatbari or Khosro Heydari could find themselves in the starting lineup, should any of the duo be rested or used elsewhere on the field.

Montenegro certainly came to Austria with a strong squad full of European legionnaires. Spearheaded by Manchester City’s Stevan Jovetic but without striking star Marko Vucinic the Montengrins will certainly be very hard to beat, although their recent 0-2 friendly defeat to Slovakia might tempt the demanding Iranian press and public to think otherwise.

After the Montenegro match, Iran will have two friendlies left to prepare for World Cup; versus Angola in Hartberg on Friday and versus Trinidad & Tobago in Brazil on June 8.

Iran – Montenegro
Friendly Match, Hartberg, Austria, May 26, 18.30 local time

Iran’s possible lineup: Davari – Beitashour, Montazeri, Hosseini, Beikzadeh – Teymourian, Nekounam, Hadadifar – Dejagah, Ghoochannejhad, Shojaei